Monday Message
May 16, 2022
Parent Survey for MEA Annual Report to CDE
Ms. Ele retires
We've had the honor of having Linda Ele support MEA as an Education Assistant for over 12 years. Her attention to detail and willingness to assist in anything and everything at MEA, especially during a pandemic, is of immeasurable value. Her professional level photography and design skills are displayed throughout this year's yearbook, and it is no stretch to say that it could not have been made without her efforts. From creating a welcoming atmosphere for students to documenting school events to providing musical accompaniment at school ceremonies, Ms. Ele's calming presence and good-natured personality will be missed immensely. We wish her all the best in her next chapter!
After years of crafting weekly “Monday Messages” to keep MEA families up-to-date, Ms. Ele has a few last words to share…
“It’s so strange that the time has come to leave this job that I love here at MEA! Like so many of us feel - students, parents, staff - this is a really special place, and I’ve always been grateful to get to work here. It’s also strange to wonder what I’ll be doing in the uncharted territory of retirement. Maybe I’ll “pursue my passion” and climb (slowly) the next mountain (let’s make that a hill). Thank you wonderful school!” ~ Linda Ele
UPCOMING EVENTS
LEGO League Meeting
Thursday May 19th / 12:30pm
In front of school
Thank you MEA parents, for your emails to me about the new MEA Lego League next year. Let’s get together to discuss what is needed now, over the summer, and in the fall.
This is a planning meeting for parents and high school volunteers (not for students to play LEGOS).
Please contact Kathleen at kmobarski@gmail.com with any questions.
MEA Architecture for Kids
Thursday, May 19 in the MakerSpace
Grades K-2: 12:30-1:15
Grades 3-5: 12:30-1:45
Thank you for student signups - the workshops are now full.
This 2-day Architecture Workshop is facilitated by Jennifer Swedell - Architect, Artist, and mom to 1st grader Gia Forzani.
There will be lunch supervision for elementary students that are already on campus. For other students, please drop them off at the front office and they will be escorted to and from the MakerSpace.
Panda Express Fundraiser
Thursday, May 19 (10a-10pm)
5407 Balboa Ave Suite 460
858-779-9288
Please join us for a Fundraiser at Panda Express on Thursday, May 19th from 10am to 10pm. 20% of event sales will be donated to Mt. Everest Academy Foundation.
- Show this flyer at the restaurant
- Or order online with code 335330 (instructions)
Enjoy the fresh, flavorful combination of Chinese regional cuisine and technique with bold American tastes!!
Work Due for Month 9
Friday, May 20 completed by 3:00pm
(must arrive by 2pm for enough time to meet with your supervising teacher)
Mt. Everest Academy must follow strict Ed Code policy regarding independent study. We realize turn-in and work samples can be a hassle, however, they MUST be done correctly in order for our program to stay in existence. So, please carefully follow instructions for turn-in and audit. If you are not sure you are doing something correctly, ask your supervising teacher. (And DO NOT write "audit" anywhere on a work sample or subject title.)
Turn in all of your work to your content area teachers
Use this checklist to prepare your work samples (audits)
Go see your supervising teacher for your monthly "check-in". You will review completed work in all of your classes with them and turn in your work samples.
We strongly suggest completing work samples on Tuesday or Wednesday this week so it is not a rush to get it done on Friday!
Lunch concert with Mr. Johnson's students
Tuesday, May 24 / 12:00-12:30 / Auditorium
Mr. Johnson’s students will perform a variety of songs for their fellow students. Come fill your belly with lunch and fill your soul with music!
SSC/SGT Meeting
Date: Wednesday, May 25
Time: 2:00-3:00 pm
Zoom: https://sandiegounified.zoom.us/j/89056497845
All parents are invited to attend the School Site Committee (SSC) meeting. The SSC is a shared decision-making body composed of parents, staff, and students. Our Council identifies needs for academic programs and sets budgets to support these programs. The meeting agenda will be posted on the SSC/SGT webpage. For questions, please contact Principal Browne at cbrowne@sandi.net
Lunch Concert with the MEA Jam Band
Thursday, May 26 / 12:00 / Auditorium
Drums, keyboard, guitar, bass, and vocals…MEA students will be jammin’ with good vibrations under the direction of Mr. Mark Fisher.
End-of-Year Concert
Tuesday, May 31 / 5:30-6:30pm / MEA Auditorium
Mr. Johnson’s students will showcase some of the musical pieces they have learned this year. Everyone is invited to come enjoy our Choir, Beginning Band, Advanced Band, Beginning String, and Advanced Strings as they perform for your listening pleasure!
Masks are not required, but highly recommended.
MEA Family Picnic
Friday, June 3 / 11:00-1:30
Mission Bay Crown Point Shores North
More details to follow
Promotions & Graduation
Kindergarten: Tuesday, June 7, 10:00
5th grade: Wednesday, June 8, 10:30
8th grade: Wednesday, June 8, 1:30
Senior Graduation Rehearsal & Celebration
Thursday, June 9, 12:30-3:00
MEA Auditorium
Senior Graduation Ceremony
Friday, June 10, 6:00-7:30pm
CPMA Middle School Auditorium
5050 Conrad Ave, SD, 92117
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Book Returns & Re-enrolling
In planning for the end of the school year, the following times have been scheduled by grade level for returning all MEA materials and re-enrolling for 2022-23. If you have students in various grades, please come during the designated time for the highest grade level and we will accommodate all of your students. Please mark your calendar!
ELEMENTARY (come to elementary gate)
Tues, 5/24...11:30-12:30...Gr. 1 & 3
Wed, 5/25...11:30-12:30... Gr. K & 5
Thur, 5/26...11:30-12:30...Gr. 2 & 4
SECONDARY (come through front gate, then bring materials to room 4)
Wed, 6/1...1:00-3:00...Gr. 6 & 7
Thur, 6/2...11:30-12:30...Gr. 8
Thur, 6/2...12:30-2:00...Seniors
Mon, 6/6...10:00-11:30...Gr. 9
Tues, 6/7...11:00-12:30...Gr. 10
Thur, 6/9...1:00-3:00...Gr. 11
Re-Enrollment
- 2022-23 enrollment forms will be available for you to sign. If your address has changed, please bring a new proof of residence.
- Master agreements will still be signed in August when textbooks are picked up.
Library Material Returns
Know what you owe! To view your library account, go to our MEA Destiny Home page
- Follow the login instructions (student ID and password).
- After logging in you can find “Know What You Owe” under “How to…” in the top left column.
- For students that have district Chromebooks, keeping them over the summer is optional. However ALL students will be required to bring their Chromebooks back at book pickups in August to renew the checkout date for the new school year.
Not using library materials?
The more materials that are returned sooner, the smoother that scheduled returns will go later.
SDUSD Student Board Member Openings
SDUSD high school students are invited to apply to serve a one-year term alongside the five Board Trustees for the 2022-23 school year by following the process outlined here and completing this Google Form.
The application due date for interested students is Wednesday, May 18, 2022. There will be two Student Board Member positions available for the 2022-23 school year.
For questions about serving in this capacity, please contact Stacey Seiders sseiders@sandi.net with any questions.
SDUSD March for Mental Health
On Thursday, May 26th at 4:30 pm, SDUSD students are holding a march at the district office. This march is a rally for student mental health, calling for continued support and change within the district. In lieu of May's Mental Health Awareness Month, we have three requests: 1. communicate existing mental health resources, 2. represent student advocacy groups at the district level, and 3. implement calendarized mental health minimum days into the school schedule. Included in the event will be student speakers, a short march around the building, and wellness related crafts. Information is included in the flier below-- feel free to send it to your friends! Email Leena (MEA 11th grader) at leenayumi1@gmail.com with any questions.
MEA Parents: please fill out LCFF
Mt. Everest Academy needs parents to fill out a very short form, the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF). The LCFF will ensure that we receive all the state funding we’re entitled to. This information is private and will not be used for any other purposes. It will not affect children receiving free meals.
The 2022-23 LCFF is available now to reduce the burden of collecting data during the busy time of school openings in the Fall. Explanation letter
- Access the LCFF Form in the PowerSchool Parent Portal
- The LCFF form is only available in the Parent Portal to parents, not students.
- Here is a job aid to assist in entering information
For more information about LCFF, please contact Maria Ramos (mramos3@sandi.net).
“Senior Shelf” Legacy Project
Dear Senior Class of 2022,
What is your favorite novel, play, or book of poetry? Why do you love it? Would you like to share this beloved book and your thoughts about it with the greater, and future, MEA community? Please consider donating a copy of your favorite book to our MEA library.
Your selection will be included on the "Senior Shelf" as a legacy project that you can visit when you return to visit your alma mater (which we hope you will do- a lot!). You will also be able to add a few personal comments on a bookplate that will be placed on the inside cover.
Guidelines: Please make sure the book's content is school-appropriate (high school and below). We will support anyone who needs help acquiring or purchasing the book. Funds are limited, so it would be first come, first serve. Please feel free to contact me by email, and include the title and author of the book (and particular edition, if that is important). It is also perfectly fine for you to donate a gently used, pre-read copy that you already own and are willing to share with your fellow MEA Wolves!
We would like your books to be brought in no later than Friday, May 27. Please send your thoughts via email to nmullen@sandi.net, and I will print them out and put them in your book selection. You can drop off any time before May 27th in the library, the main office (there will be a box labeled "Senior Shelf"), or room 1. Please put your name on the book somewhere so that we know it's from you.
Last year's Senior Shelf is on the bookcase near the reading carpet and comfy chairs by the window. Check it out for some inspiration, and to see what the Class of 2021 donated and said about their books.
Thank you for considering participating in this project. We at MEA all hope you will leave a little, "literal" piece of yourself in the small but mighty MEA Library!
Congratulations on reaching this amazing milestone- the end of high school!
Nancy Mullen
Senior Requirements Checklist
Upcoming graduation requirements:
- Thursday, 6/2 - Final schoolwork and work samples due. Textbooks returned. Acknowledge completion of all in Google Classroom.
GOOD STUFF
Maryam Fayzullina to study abroad
Maryam Fayzullina, grade 10, has some great news to share:
“I am officially a finalist for the 2022-23 YES Abroad program where I’ll be studying in Turkey for a whole year! I wasn’t expecting to receive this scholarship at all since the acceptance rate was about 3%. This program is run through the U.S. State Department's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs that gives high school students (age 15-18.5) an opportunity to study in countries like Indonesia, Malaysia, India, Thailand, Turkey etc. I will be experiencing immersion in all aspects of this beautiful culture by going to a local school and living with a host family. I believe that I’ll have to spend some time in Washington DC to meet some representatives and attend orientations before my departure to Turkey. I am very excited to have this wonderful opportunity!”
Learn more about YES Abroad
Maryam is pictured below in one of her interviews for the program.
Debate Champion
Congratulations to Gioia F, she's the champion in this year's 8th grade debate contest. Her peers voted her champion after winning four rounds of debates in a bracket style championship. The final debate was between Emily Hou and some of the topics of this year's debates were: Should public transit be Free?, Should juveniles be sentenced to life in prison? and Should parents track their children?
Ally Action earns a Civic Learning Award
Ally Action and MEA were recognized for their social justice work by the Judicial Branch of California earning a Civic Learning Award. MEA is the only school in the district to win this recognition.
A big shout out to the leadership team of Theo Martien, Chloe Moya, Nicole Lee and Leena Iwamoto and all of the members of Ally Action.
Ally Action is facilitated by Aaron Cate and Eric Nielsen.
The announcement below is included in the SDUSD newsletter.
EXTRACURRICULARS
* * * Click box above for Elementary Extracurricular Schedule * * *
Chicken Coop Cooperative • Daily Mindfulness & Meditation • Elementary Art
Elementary Chess • Music with Mr. Johnson • PALS
MEA Architecture for Kids
Ever wonder how a set of architectural plans that fit on a small desk later become a giant building?
It all starts with the concept of scale. Architects represent elements of life-sized things such as walls, doors, and windows, by shrinking them down using different scales of measurement. The easiest scale to understand is 1 inch equals 1 foot or 1"=1'. Architects use many different scales in a set of construction drawings, ranging from as small as 1"=50', to fit an entire landscape on a piece of paper, to 3"=1' to show how a special bolt might hold something together. Elementary students learned about scale by first going from big-to-small. Students measured their heights and drew themselves and their classmates at 1"=1' scale using 1/4" grid paper. A 4' student became 4" tall on paper. Next, they went from small-to-big. Each student brought a toy that they measured and then scaled up by drawing with chalk on the playground. A 6" toy became 6 feet. Next week, students will apply scale to conceptual design and model-making.
Chess for Elementary Students
Every Thursday / 12:00-12:45 / Parent Room
The focus of this group is on elementary students, but older students are also welcome. Mr. Martin Nilsson and MEA student, Sebastian, will be leading these sessions. Here are a couple of free websites for learning chess: (Lichess.org and Chesskid.com). Practice, practice, practice!
Sign your elementary child in at the front office at 11:55 (unless they are in 2nd or 4th grade and already on campus). Students will be walked back to the front gate for parents to pick up at 12:45.
Coil Press Pots
Previously in Elementary Art with Mrs. Sink, students used air dry clay to create bowls made of coils. After the bowls had time to dry, they were painted last week. Now the paint has dried and been sealed; the bowls will be delivered to supervising teachers during this M9 turn in week.
“C3” for grades K-5
Wednesday, May 25 / 12:30-1:30
Miss Shannon is offering the last Chicken Coop Cooperative (C3) of the school year on Wednesday, May 25 from 12:30 until 1:30:
This hour is designed for the K through 5 students to spend some time getting to know the chickens, and hanging out with other students. We will occasionally harvest greens growing from the gardens to offer them as well. We will be mindful of washing hands after interacting with the chickens: food for kids first (if eating on campus), then food for chickens.
Please sign in at the front office and the students can be sent directly to the chicken coop. Students will be walked back to the front office at 1:30.
PALS Tutoring
Wednesdays & Thursdays / 12:30-1:45 / Room 6
Trained tutors are ready to help you get your classwork done. All students grades K-12 who would like some extra help can come to room 6 every Wednesday and Thursday during 4th period (12:30-1:45pm). All grades are welcome, as we have tutors for all grade levels. PALS is a great way to build community and academic skills!
Parents, K-5 students attending PALS must arrive with a check-in form so tutors know what to work on with your child and you receive a report on how things went. (Extra forms will be available when you drop off in case you forget or can't print one at home.)
- K-5 students attending studygroup and PALS on the same day should be signed in when parents drop off at 9am. Parents must indicate if their student is staying for supervised lunch and PALS
- K-5 students attending ONLY PALS on any given day should be signed in outside the front office.
- 6-12 students can report directly to Room 6.
Music classes with Mr. Johnson
These classes are held every Tuesday. Please sign your child in at the front office and note which class(es) they will be attending.
- 8:05- 8:55 - Beginning Band
- 9:05- 9:55 - Choir
- 10:05- 10:55 - Advanced Band
- 11:05 - 11:55 - Music theory (for upper grades)
- 12:30- 1:20 - Advanced Strings (open to secondary)
- 1:35- 2:25 - Beginning Strings
* * * Click box above for Secondary Extracurricular Schedule * * *
Academic League • Ally Action • Anime • Chess • Coop Group • Daily Mindfulness & Meditation • Gaming • German • GSA • Literary Magazine • MathCounts • Mental Health • Music with Mr. Johnson • PALS • Rubik's Cube • Sherpa’s Jam Band • Spanish Conversation • Sports Club • Young Investors Club
"Heights"
After months of preparation and creative initiative, the MEA Literary Magazine has finally published its first issue of Heights!
Please log in to "Heights" with a sandi.net account, and then click on the “Issues” tab. Enjoy this thoughtful compilation of student work!
Around Campus
The science of sound
Ms. Patterson’s 7th graders study sound through vibration and learning pitch.
MEA GARDENS & CHICKENS
HELPFUL INFORMATION
Class schedule for 2022-2023
For your planning purposes, the class schedule for 2022-2023 is ready! We have done our best to consolidate 9-12th grade classes so that students enrolled in a standard grade level program have classes over 1-2 days as opposed to 3 days. Please check it out here. Please note, this schedule is subject to change until the first day of school, but we always try to limit changes once it has been published.
AmazonSmile
MEA Foundation is fully registered with AmazonSmile as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. When you shop at AmazonSmile, Amazon.com will donate to MEA Foundation at no cost to you,
If you haven't already, log on to smile.amazon.com and designate Mount Everest Academy Foundation as your charity of choice.
- Don't forget to bookmark smile.amazon.com for all of your Amazon purchases.
- Amazon will donate 0.5% of all eligible purchases made via smile.amazon.com to the Foundation.
School Spirit Store
Parents are now able to use SchoolCash Online to buy and pay for items using Visa/Visa Debit and Mastercard/Mastercard Debit. We are currently selling school spirit wear and other fundraising items like lanyards, water bottles and DVDs. Simply order online and then come pick up your purchase in the MEA front office.
Please create an account to access our online catalog.
Meet with School Counselor
For students and parents that would like to meet with Mr. Rubin, our school counselor, please sign up for an appointment.
community announcements
Volunteer at the SD Food Bank
Friday, May 27 / 9:00am - 12:00 pm
Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank Warehouse
9850 Distribution Ave. SD 92121
As part of Mr. Spiegelberg’s IP/WLD History class, several students will be volunteering with him at the San Diego Food Bank. There are more openings available, so other MEA students, ages 11+, and a few parent volunteers can help out also.
This is not a school sponsored event, and participants will meet at the SD Food Bank.
Here are registration instructions and more details. Please register by this Friday, May 20.
Contact Mr. Spiegelberg, dspiegelberg@sandi.net, with any questions.
Chess Summer Camp 2022
June 20-24
Mt. Everest Academy
“Chess Minds in Motion”
MEA parent, Martin Nilsson, is offering this chess workshop. Mr. Nilsson is a USCF Life Master, USCF Professional Coach, and Swedish Cadet National Champion.
Link to Chess Summer Camp 2022 flyer.
An Ethnic Studies Summer Experience
MOVEMENTS: Intro to Ethnic Studies, Summer 2022
Located at the Centro Cultural de la Raza, 2004 Park Blvd
This experience will feature:
- Essential questions about identity, race, ethnicity, and systems
- Weekly field trips that explore the LOCAL BIPOC history of San Diego
- Local community guest speakers and workshops
- Opportunities for self and community expression
Link to register (deadline May 31)
THE OFFERS CAMP'S SUMMER INTERNSHIP
The OFFERS (Opportunities for Future Engineers, Researchers, and Scientists) Camp's Summer Internship for High School Students
Flyer: https://bit.ly/OFFERSdetails
To apply: https://bit.ly/OFFERSintern
SANDAG Youth Opportunity Pass - Pronto Cards
SANDAG has teamed up with MTS, NCTD, and the County of San Diego to connect youth to school, jobs, entertainment, and more! Starting May 1, anyone 18-years-old and younger can ride transit for FREE in San Diego County through the SANDAG Youth Opportunity Pass pilot program. Youth can get unlimited rides on the bus, Trolley, COASTER, and SPRINTER through June 2023 with a Youth PRONTO account. https://youthopportunitypass.sandag.org/